The Hindu : Shinde turns up at World Social Forum

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 20, 2004

National

National

Shinde turns up at World Social Forum

By Kalpana Sharma

MUMBAI, JAN. 19. An unexpected visitor to the World Social Forum this evening was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Sushilkumar Shinde. Until moments before he walked into the grounds where the forum is being held, the organisers could not confirm whether he was coming. Mr. Shinde's gun-toting guards looked distinctly ill-at-ease as people walked directly up to him and asked questions.

Aruna Roy of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan asked Mr. Shinde whether he would take the time to talk to Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan who is on a dharna in front of Mantralaya demanding fair rehabilitation for the oustees of the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

Displacement and the impact of development on tribal communities has been one of the major themes at the forum. "I will meet her tomorrow," he said.

"Unless our people are rehabilitated, I will not allow the dam height to be increased." He said he had discussed the issue with a secretary of the Central Government and would push for resettlement of all those listed as oustees.

Asked how he responded to the slogans against neo-liberal globalisation raised at the forum when the State was going out of its way to attract global investment, Mr. Shinde said his Government was taking precautions.

"Ours is the first State in the country to promise houses to workers displaced from their chawls," he said referring to hundreds of textile mill workers who face homelessness as mill lands fell into the hands of private developers. "We have to be careful in accepting globalisation. We have to see that people in service are protected."

At the same time, he said, even former communist countries had accepted the trend to integrate with the global economy and there was nothing wrong in being open.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National